1. Field of the Invention
In one aspect, this invention relates to braking systems. In a further aspect, this invention relates to steering systems associated with disc brakes.
2. Prior Art
Conventional disc brakes have a rotor which is rotatably mounted on a wheel spindle to turn with the wheel and tire. To stop, the vehicle brake pads are forced into engagement with the turning rotor. Generally, the pads are mounted on a caliper which has two arms, one arm on each side of the rotor and means to activate at least one arm so as to bring the pads into contact with the rotor's surface. The caliper must be rigidly mounted on the car chassis to prevent it from rotating with the rotor when the brake pads are in contact with the rotor. One commonly accepted method of mounting the caliper is to fasten the caliper to a torque plate which is in turn rigidly mounted on the wheel spindle.
The provision of a torque plate necessitates the use of numerous parts and requires additional labor during the assembly process. The additional parts mean increased weight in the brake assembly, which increases the vehicle's weight and reduces gas mileage.
It would be preferable to mount the caliper directly on the steering knuckle thereby eliminating the torque plate and its attendant weight. However, merely mounting the caliper on a steering knuckle creates a new series of problems. During braking the caliper creates a large twisting moment, which must be considered in the design. The twisting moment is normally transferred to the portion of the steering knuckle in front of the caliper thereby placing most of the braking torque on one small portion of the steering knuckle. The effected portion must be strengthened and designed to absorb the entire load.